Five Minutes with a Friend: Shweta Pai, MuuYee
We are proud to present the first artisan in our series of features for the newly launched Selvedge Artisan Goods shop: MuuYee.
Rooted in rural India, MuuYee, meaning “ant” in Konkani, is a community-led initiative shaped by the strength of collective making. Like its namesake, the project gathers what might otherwise be overlooked, transforming humble and discarded materials into objects of beauty, play, and meaning.
Neela Panchhi, a soft textile bird toy made using a combination of quilting, embroidery and kantha techniques.
At its heart is a network of women artisans working from their native villages, often coming together in shared courtyards after daily chores — spaces where conversation, collaboration, and creativity naturally intertwine. Among them are Archana Chakroborty, Basanti Mondal, Champa Mondal, and Lipika Halder, whose skills in kantha embroidery, quilting, appliqué, and hand stitching imbue each piece with texture, softness, and story.
Busy Safed Panchhis cushion cover, capturing the energy of birds moving together across an open sky.
MuuYee’s work is deeply collaborative. Their textiles are brought to life through partnerships with organisations such as Aranya Naturals & Sasha. Aranya Naturals, based in Munnar, supports the livelihoods of differently abled dyers and Shibori artists, lending MuuYee its rich palette through botanical dyes and intricate resist-dyeing techniques. Meanwhile, Sasha, a self-help handicraft collective in Calcutta, brings together skilled craftspeople in block printing, toy-making, weaving, and kantha embroidery, shaping MuuYee’s distinctive accessories and playmates. A wider creative community, including Eco Avid, Studio Basic, Blank Studio, Karnataka Sarvodhaya Sangha, Divya Runwal, and Malvika Tewari, also contributes to this evolving ecosystem of craft, guided by Shweta Pai’s vision.
Red Chilly Panchhi, a vibrant textile bird toy is characterised by its bold contrasts and expressive details.
Using handloom cotton, natural fibres, organic dyes, and zero-waste processes, MuuYee creates dolls, garments, and textiles inspired by folklore, the natural world, and the boundless imagination of children. Botanical colours derived from pomegranate peel, wild leaves, pods, flowers, and madder root lend each piece its distinctive character. Techniques such as Bandhej and Shibori resist dyeing, along with kantha embroidery, are used to layer narrative and texture into the cloth, while careful pattern cutting ensures minimal waste.
Majestic Panchhi cushion cover, inspired by childhood drawings imagining flight and companionship.
MuuYee’s philosophy is grounded in care — for the maker, the user, and the earth — embracing slower, more thoughtful ways of creating. Their pieces are designed not only to be cherished but to return gently to the earth at the end of their life, leaving no trace behind.
Milky Malabar Whistling Thrush, a textile bird toy designed as an open-ended play companion, encouraging imagination through texture, colour and movement.
As part of our 5 Minutes with a Friend interview series, we spoke to Shweta Pai about the inspiration behind MuuYee, her dedication to reviving traditional knowledge, and the joyful role of storytelling and play in her work:
Shweta Pai, Founder and Creative Director of MuuYee
Shweta, what is your earliest memory of a textile?
My earliest memory of a textile is my mom’s up-cycled blouses, and visits to tailors to get my dresses custom made out of supple old sarees.
How would you describe what draws you to textiles and the world of making?
The fact that every human and every household owns a piece a textile. How slowly, stitch by stitch, wrap by weft, or dot by dot, it comes together.
If you create textiles, where do you feel most inspired to work?
I am completely at home in my country and in my own backyard - India, it’s so versatile and vibrant.
What has sparked your imagination or inspired you recently?
The natural world and its myriad forms always excites me. There is so much charm in everyday occurrences.
What is your most treasured textile, and what story does it carry?
My mom’s hoardings of vintage textiles, a piece of cross stitch embroidery she made, and her sarees.
Where did you first learn your craft, and who shaped your early approach to making?
I learnt in my childhood, growing up watching my Granddad who had very nice hand skills. Even the sheer act of sewing a button seemed like magic.
Is there a piece of music you return to while you work, that sets the rhythm of your making?
All kinds of instrumental world music.
What material or technique are you currently experimenting with or curious to explore further?
Learning to hand paint with natural pigments on textiles.
If you could collaborate with any maker, past or present, who would it be, and why?
The traditional block printers from Rajasthan, maybe! I admire the confidence in their lines, how they translate them using wood, and how, finally, it creates magic on textiles through print and dye.
What does a perfect day of making look like for you?
A slow, quiet day with chilled fermented beverages, alone and with no babies for miles away - but only for a couple of hours!
Thank you Shweta Pai, for bringing us into your world for a few moments.
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Further Information:
Discover more from MuuYee’s world of handcrafted treasures at the Selvedge Artisan Goods shop.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Artisan embroidering cushion design details at Muuyee
All images courtesy of Muuyee